THE cold weather does not deter the all-year sea swimmers, and it certainly didn’t deter the 70 plus swimmers from Donegal and Northern Ireland who took to the water at the Boatstrand, Carrickfinn on Sunday morning as part of the PEACEPLUS cross-border initiative.
The open water swimming was the final part of Sunday’s event that was preceded by breakfast and some talks by various guests in the local Seanscoil Mhullach Dubh, all with the one message of how the daily sea swimming has helped them physically and mentally and of course to make many new friends.
In for a dip at the Boatstrand, Carrickfinn on Sunday as part of the cross border PEACEPLUS event.
Event co-ordinator Sally Rodgers welcomed everyone to the event that included swimmers and dippers from Donegal and several counties in Northern Ireland. Sally said that the gathering showed how every single person in attendance is connected through the love of the sea and open water swimming.
Article and pics by Eoin McGarvey
Carrickfinn woman, Mabel Boyd lives just beside the Boatstrand and sees the local swimmers going down early morning and late evenings to enjoy their daily dips. Mable explained to the gathering how the Church of Ireland community came to be in Carrickfinn and the strong link with the boat strand.
Locals Danny O’Donnell, Elaine Boyle O’Donnell. Rachel Gallagher, Sally Rodgers, Martin Gallagher, and Charles Beatty at Sunday’s PEACEPLUS event in the Rosses.
Retired teacher Gloria Perry from the Tyrone Dippers, who happened to be celebrating her 70th birthday, spoke of the benefits of being involved with the group and the friendships made. She said her swimming started as a young child on family outings to the beach. She learned how to swim while at secondary school going to the swimming baths in Derry. Three years ago she joined the Tyrone Dippers and became an all year round swimmer. “It is unreal. It changed my life. I’m now swimming all year, in the morning, at night time, and in the winter,” she said.
Gloria Perry celebrated her 70th birthday with a dip at Sunday’s PEACEPLUS event at Carrickfinn.
Elaine Boyle O’Donnell spoke of how she got into sea swimming and how she has now clocked up over 800 days without missing one and has raised tens of thousands for various charities.
Colette Fleming from Kilkeel, County Down is doing a PhD on the benefits of open water swimming with a Welsh University and heard so much of this PEACEPLUS programme through Donegal County Council and Customer Service Excellence Ireland that she wanted to be involved on the day. Colette, a psychologist, spoke about her findings to date and the future focus of the research. She is now involved with a local GP practice in Kilkeel where patients are being encouraged to partake in open sea swimming for health benefits.
Onlookers on Oileán na Marbh near Carrickfin as swimmers enter the water during Sunday’s cross border PEACEPLUS event in the Rosses.
Charlie Boyle of Customer Service Excellence Ireland, who is involved with the project, said that open water swimming through the platform of stories has the ability to unite across religious and cultural backgrounds, adding that the PEACEPLUS programme is a real catalyst for greater inclusivity of many otherwise marginalised.
Following the talks the group made their way to the Boatstrand where all took to the sea for a swim and were then treated to a delicious open air lunch on the pier.
Carmel Mortimer, Pamela Monaghan, and Amanda Mc Ginley at the PeacePlus event in the Rosses.
The Pidgeon family at the PEACEPLUS event at Carrickfinn.
